Generally, there is a column of a door frame of a vehicle as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 is a front view illustrating a configuration of a door frame, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12.
As illustrated in FIG. 12, a door frame 1 includes a lower frame 3, a center pillar 2, and an upper frame 4. The lower frame 3 and the center pillar 2 serve as columns that guide lifting of a window glass. The upper frame 4 is coupled to the lower frame 3 and the center pillar 2 in a state where the lower frame and the center pillar are separated from each other, and defines a top dead point of the window glass.
As illustrated in FIG. 13, the center pillar 2 as a column includes an outer member 7 and an inner member 9 that is attached to the outer member 7. The inner member 9 is located at an inner side of the vehicle of the outer member 7.
The outer member 7 includes a design portion 11 and a groove forming portion 15 that forms a groove 13 for guiding lifting the window glass.
The inner member 9 includes a body portion 16 that has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and an attachment portion 17 that extends from the body portion 16 along the design portion 11.
A folded portion 21 and an attachment portion 23 extending to the inner side of the vehicle from the folded portion 21 are formed on a side portion on the inner side of the vehicle of the groove forming portion 15 of the outer member 7. The attachment portion 23 is located inside the body portion 16 of the inner member 9.
The outer member 7 is welded to the inner member 9 in a state where an end face of one side portion of the body portion 16 of the inner member 9 comes into contact with the folded portion 21 of the outer member 7. In FIG. 13, reference sign W represents a weld bead.
A hemming portion 19 surrounding the attachment portion 17 of the inner member 9 is formed in the design portion 11 of the outer member 7. By sandwiching the attachment portion 17 of the inner member 9 between the hemming portion 19 of the outer member 7, the outer member 7 is attached to the inner member 9 (for example, see Patent Literature 1).
Another configuration is known as illustrated in FIG. 14 (see Patent Literature 2). A folded portion 31 including a groove is formed on a side portion on the inner side of the vehicle of the groove forming portion 15 of the outer member 7. An end of one side portion of the body portion 16 of the inner member 9 is inserted into the groove of the folded portion 31. In a state where an end face of the end portion of the inner member 9 comes into contact with a bottom 31a of the folded portion 31, the outer member 7 is attached to the inner member 9 using a resistance welding method or the like.